Schistosomiasis Collection at the Natural History Museum (SCAN)

Electron micrograph of a male/female pair of adult schistosomes.

What is SCAN?

SCAN is a project to create a schistosomiasis collectionat the Natural History Museum. In building a global repository of schistosomiasis related specimens and contextual data providing a resource for essential research into schistosomiasis, a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD).

Field collecting in Niger.

What are our goals?

We are:

consolidating existing collections and data

ensuring storage methods for samples are compatible with analysis by a range of techniques associated with molecular-based research

transferring specimens into the best possible storage systems

providing safe and stable storage of specimens collected as part of external research programmes

Organisation

SCAN is based at the Natural History Museum and managed by the Wolfson Wellcome Biomedical laboratories, a WHO Collaborating Centre for the identification and characterisation of schistosomes and their intermediate snail hosts.

We also work in partnership with the Molecular Collections Facility (MCF) at the Museum.